Promoting the Politics of Courage
The Conservatives claim they’ll “crack-down” on second homers and “punish” them with double council tax. However, I regret that all they will do is the opposite. As more second homers will be encouraged to ‘flip’ their property investment from council tax to business rates, claim the tax exemption and pay nothing. All they’re proposing is merely to […]
Putin’s unleashing of the most violent act of unprovoked aggression in Europe since 1939 has been matched in Russia by his resorting as never before to lies, violence and shutting-down free-speech. Though the World’s dispute is with just one psychologically unstable autocrat and not with the Russian people, the consequential sanctions have triggering the biggest […]
This week I launch a Charter for Housing Justice. Amongst other things it calls for: 1. Everyone to have a right to a decent, secure, affordable home;2. Radically changing the planning and tax systems to put public good before private gain; first homes before second homes; stronger enforcement powers; and third party right of appeal; […]
We can and should do more to support the people of Ukraine. I’ll stick my neck out. Some politicians may prefer to drape themselves in flags and gestures. I say we could and should give Ukraine air support. I was disappointed at the naivety of the west and its failure to avert the inevitability of […]
Learning to live with… Today’s Covid announcement was no more led by science than it was by politics. It was another tactic in “Operation Save Big Dog”. Designed to save the skin of the PM. A man not exactly renowned for his honesty and integrity. Doesn’t matter to him that he’s throwing the vulnerable, the […]
I welcome the outcome of the Carbis Bay Hotel’s appeal against enforcement action. It is of course correct that this illegal development is demolished immediately. It will send a helpful message to others who attempt to bypass proper procedure or who believe they are above the rules. The Hotel could go further and help to […]
We live in a time of uncertainty. A time when this country needs leadership it can feel confident in. However, the prime minister has other priorities. In a desperate attempt to save his own skin, the PM is prepared to risk the lives of others, including thousands of vulnerable people. His announcement that covid rules […]
Second homers who received some of the £169 million paid so far from Cornwall’s Covid aid should either pay the money back or donate it to housing charities. The local MP has not yet apologised for having wrongly criticised me for highlighting this appalling misuse of public money. Nor has he apologised for incorrectly claiming […]
We can combat Covid and support our economy if we support each other. Communities across Cornwall and Scilly can demonstrate we’re amongst the most community-spirited places in the country. Conservative Ministers have chosen to ignore almost all authoritative science and have lifted sensible Covid controls. In contrast we can all show that here in our […]
Before the Government hits struggling workers a £12bn tax bill, they first need to demonstrate they’ve “fixed social care”. At the very time the Government plans its National Insurance tax hike Cornwall’s Conservative Council has declared the social care is more unfixed than it’s ever been! At the last election the Conservatives promised that above […]